Aditya Birla New Age Hospitality Launches Nami Audiophile Listening Bar in Bandra West
A new 25-seater listening bar named Nami has opened in Bandra West, marking the latest addition to Mumbai's nightlife landscape. Launched by Aditya Birla New Age Hospitality (ABNAH), the venue aims to bring audiophile culture into a public hospitality space, positioning sound as the primary focus of the experience rather than background entertainment.
Located on the 15th Floor of Mansionz One on Linking Road and tucked within the new Supa San outlet, Nami takes its name from the Japanese word for a wave or ripple. The establishment reflects a growing shift in India's drinking culture toward more intimate spaces designed around intentional listening.
Acoustic Design and Sound Architecture
Designed by Mumbai-based Patch Design Studio, the 600-square-foot room incorporates acoustic panelling inspired by sound waves, a wave-shaped bar, and programmable lighting across the ceiling. The aesthetic combines Japanese minimalism and calligraphic forms with Indian design elements like rangoli and kolam, utilizing wood and brass to warm the space.
The venue's audio infrastructure prioritizes analog sound, featuring a multicell horn setup, refurbished Technics SL-1210 MK2 turntables, and a Resør rotary mixer hand-built in Berlin. The speakers were handmade in Indonesia, while the room's overall acoustics were handled by Munro Acoustics.
Sumit Vaswani, head of experiences at ABNAH, conceptualized the venue following four years of collecting vinyl and a career curating events for venues such as Social and antiSOCIAL. Vaswani described Nami as an effort to build a space where music forms the core of the hospitality model, catering to a broader move toward intimate environments.
Musical Programming and Curated Selectors
The music programming at Nami shifts throughout the evening. Sessions begin with jazz fusion and spiritual jazz before transitioning into soul, world disco, and trip-hop, eventually moving into house and electronica. The venue also plans dedicated listening sessions where records are played in full from side A to side B.
Jaipur-born hip-hop and lo-fi producer Owlist serves as the resident selector, drawing on his background in beat-making and vinyl sampling. The lineup will feature both domestic and international selectors, including Mumbai figures Dreamstates, Sindhi Curry, and Zokhuma, along with artist Jitwam and Japanese vinyl DJ Que Sakamoto.
The Frequency Cocktail Menu and Culinary Offerings
The drink program, titled The Frequency Menu, was developed by Singapore’s Sago House. Each cocktail is assigned a specific frequency and visual identity, moving from lower-alcohol options to higher-proof serves. Cocktails are served with a printed cymatic pattern on butter paper, which can be layered to form a larger design.
Specific offerings on the menu include:
- Springleaf: A highball combining gin, shiso, and curry leaf.
- Hirajoshi: An umami-style Martini variation containing gin, vodka, kombu, junmai sake, and house-made pickles.
- Raga: A mix of reposado tequila, Alphonso mango, and black cardamom.
- Brainwave: A cocktail featuring Rémy Martin VSOP, Havana Club 3 Year, matcha cream, wasabi, white chocolate, fresh lemon, and soda.
Food offerings are provided through an Itameshi menu created by Chef Akanksha, which blends Italian techniques with Japanese ingredients. Nibbles designed to complement the music include fried pasta with whipped ricotta, wasabi, and chilli honey, as well as chashu croquettes served with chicken-fondo crema.
